Young sprinter Dutee Chand's last minute exclusion from the Indian athletics team for the upcoming Glasgow Commonwealth Games led to speculation over the outcome of the gender test she reportedly underwent recently in Bangalore.
The dropping of 18-year-old Dutee at the last minute by Athletics Federation of India from the CWG team raised suspicion over her reported gender test as Sports Authority of India had confirmed that a woman athlete underwent a gender test recently though it refused to name her.
"A gender test was conducted on a woman athlete in Bangalore. If she is there in the list of CWG participants, her name will have to be deleted from the list," SAI DG Jiji Thomson told PTI.
The Sports Ministry while clearing the athletics team for the CWG had said that Dutee Chand was "recommended subject to medical clearance", according to the list released by Indian Olympic Association.
AFI, however, sought to steer clear of the controversy, saying that Dutee was not picked for the CWG as she did not reach the qualifying standard prescribed by it during the National Inter-State Meet in Lucknow in June for taking part in the Games.
"It (Chand's exclusion) has nothing to do with any other issue. She did not touch the qualifying standard," a top AFI official told PTI.
But, it's certain that Dutee was dropped at the last minute as her name was there in the list of CWG participants given earlier to some top AFI officials, including Secretary C K Valson.
AFI's announcement of a 32-member Indian athletics team for the CWG came after Valson confirmed that Dutee was there in the list of participants.
"We have 33 Indian athletes taking part in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. Renjith Maheswary is not there in the team and we have also pulled out the six-member men's 4x100m relay team due to injury and also due to performance related issues," Valson told PTI.
Asked if Dutee's name was there in the list, he said, "Yes, she is there in the list."
He, however, did not give any details about the reported gender test conducted on Dutee.
"I am not in a position to say anything on that issue. I have no idea on that," he said.
